Sivananda World News: The Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Zentrum, Berlin, Germany

Om Namah Sivaya! In April the Centre was closed due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Online classes were well visited as well as the online Satsangs which were transmitted from Reith. Highlight was the first Online Easter Retreat. The Centre was involved in the technical part of the meetings and all went very well. Many students from the Centre participated. The Retreat uplifted us all, staff were participating in many activities. The virtual community with all Swamis, staff, teachers and so many students was very inspiring and gave us the feeling of being all connected in these times of spatial separation. The Centre renovation is also going well: In the ground floor the yoga hall and most of the reception area are freshly painted. Best wishes for health and peace. OM.

COVID-19 Update:
In view of the government’s latest measures to contain the coronavirus, the Sivananda Yoga Centre Berlin is closed until further notice. All stripe cards, flat rate cards and current courses will be extended as soon as the Centre is open again. Visit our live online yoga classes via Zoom video switching. https://berlin.sivananda.yoga/yoga-kurs-kalender/ So you can roll out the mat at home and continue your practice in an interactive yoga class! UpdatePlease contact us directly for questions and tips for Yoga @ Home:

Tel: +49 (0) 30/85 99 97 98

Mobile / WhatsApp: +49 (0) 152 38 45 91 55

E-mail: [email protected]

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Buenos Aires, Argentina, South America

Om Namah Sivaya.

COVID-19 Update:
The Buenos Aires Centre is closed during South America’s COVID-19 lockdown. Please visit the Buenos Aires website to participate in any online class, Satsang or course. This way you will have Yoga at home. You just need a good internet connection and download a free Zoom application. The normal Yoga classes and Satsangs (meditation meetings) will have no cost. We would like to thank those who can contribute a donation that allows us to pay the costs of renting and maintaining the Centres.

The official resolution in Argentina to cancel classrooms and avoid meeting places has led us to define the closure of the Buenos Aires Centre. It is a complex situation and alien to our will. On the other hand, we must help the non-propagation of this virus by maintaining the standards provided by the official information media.

Try to strengthen your immune system, maintain a high level of personal hygiene, cleanliness and disinfection in your homes and places of coexistence, eat healthy and cultivate positive thinking. For this, meditation, prayer and the study of spiritual texts can help to overcome physically, mentally and emotionally this hard test that is presented in the path of all beings on this beautiful planet.

We ask you to continue the practice from your homes and for any queries do not hesitate to contact us. If changes or news arise, we will inform you. We hope all of you are well. Pranams. Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Chengdu, China

Om Namah Sivaya from Chengdu. After over 2 months of lockdown, we finally opened again. Luckily, all staff are fine. We commenced with a reduced class size as students become more relaxed about gathering together then almost twice as much attendance occurred the following week. Students really appreciated the relaxation from offline classes. We also formed a Yoga-1 class of 4 students taught by Sivani. We pray the whole world will go through this crisis with blessings from Lord Siva and Gurus. May Guru’s Grace bless everyone. Om Shanti. Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Om Namah Sivaya to all Blessed Selves from the Chennai Centre. Healing prayers from the Chennai Centre to all those who suffer physically & psychologically during this pandemic. The Coronavirus spread was making our State, to be precise the district where our Centre is situated, become the Red Zone, in complete quarantine, pulling the shutters down for a few more weeks possibly. We are completely keeping our students busy the entire day with online classes / courses streaming from different Centres & Ashrams across India through Facebook live & Zoom live sessions. All courses were offered free, including different workshops, talks, regular and advanced asana classes, Bhagavad Gita courses to mention a few. The participation is amazingly overwhelming, motivating us to do more. One of our staff Vishnu Priya left to Japan today sending her off with loads of thanks & prayers.

Weather wise, Chennai caught up with the summer heat and also with more Coronavirus cases. With more new cases popping up, our country extended the curfew for another few more weeks, up to May 3rd. Although the death rate compared to other countries was low, the eruption of new cases was alarming. Hopefully all will settle by the beginning of May & all of us will be getting back to our busy life. We were praying for the whole world, all the same. All our students were offered free online classes streaming from different Ashrams & Centres keeping them busy working out physical, mental, spiritual & intellectually. One of our staffs ‘Eva’ returned to Spain. Otherwise all our staffs are doing their Sadhana.

COVID-19 Update:
Our Chennai Centre will remain closed due to order from the Government for “Corona social distancing” to stop the spread. Due to the lockdowns announced by the Indian government, we will not be accepting any new visitors or guests to the Chennai Centre until June 1, 2020. During this phase, we’ll be offering various classes, courses & programs online. Details regarding this can be found at sivananda.org.in/online-sessions. Our thoughts are with you all and we pray that you keep well and positive during these challenging times. May all live under the grace of Master and Guru. Pranams. Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Chicago, USA

Om Namah Sivaya. So blessed we are to have this stabilizing practice. It has been an absolute gift to be able to share the teachings. It’s also been an unexpected treat to get to tune in and learn from other teachers and Swamis throughout the Organization. Maitri remained at the Ranch Ashram in New York State, before driving back to Chicago.

We completed the online “Intro to Meditation” course that met 4 times over 2 weeks, with all students proclaiming a thus-far consistent daily practice. We’re going to check in on Thursday (one week after the last class). We had a 2-day online “Positive Thinking” course that was well attended with students asking great questions at the end and showing sincere interest in deepening practice and relating to this time as a means of doing just that. We also led a Kids Class one Sunday which went very well so we will continue with it regularly. We’re trying different ways to help get the remaining Chicago Centre teachers engaged in teaching online and connecting with the community. When Maitri returned to the Midwest, she stayed just north of Chicago with her family. The weather in the Chicago/Milwaukee area teased us with sunny but chilly, windy days. The Chicago Centre sends prayers to everyone in support of our cherished yoga practice during this time. The guidance from the Gurus is paramount. We are grateful to the Gurus for continuing to protect and inspire our Sadhana. We wish you awareness of Guru’s Grace. Pranams to all. Om Shanti, Shanti, Shantihi. Om.

COVID-19 Update:
The Sivananda Centres in New York City and Chicago, as well as the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Ranch are closed to the public as a proactive measure to help stem the spread of the COVID 19 virus. Since then, the epidemic in the USA and especially in New York has grown exponentially. From the day we closed, we gathered our Centre staff at the Yoga Ranch to continue our practice, to support each other and to do what we can to continue with our mission of disseminating the Yoga teachings and support the Sivananda Yoga community in a growing isolated environment. Respecting social distancing, we started live Satsangs, study groups and asana classes using the growing social media software of Facebook Live and Zoom.

Join us from home for an online yoga class! Though we no longer have any income stream since the closings, we know that you too are being challenged economically and we are making all of our sharing free of charge. However, if you have the means, and would like to help, we will accept any donations to help support our full-time staff during these challenging times. Suggested donation: $8 / class

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta DÀ LAT Centre, Dà Lat, Vietnam

Om Namah Sivaya from the beautiful DaLat Centre. We pray for Guru’s grace and blessings for the new Centre. Om.

COVID-19 Update:
Swami Sitaramananda states; “This is a blessing in disguise. Turn in. Less travel, less movement. More practice opportunities. Clearer. Instead of being bored, see this event as an opportunity to look inward and go straight to your own goal of happiness. Indeed, it is a blessing in disguise.”

Keep in touch with the teachings and Satsangs through our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/vietnamyogaresort/posts/?ref=page_internal

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta DWARKA Centre, Delhi, India

Om Namah Sivaya to all.

COVID-19 Update:
Due to the lockdowns announced by the Indian government, we will not be accepting any new visitors or guests to the Ashram until June 1, 2020. During this phase, we’ll be offering various classes, courses & programs online. Details regarding this can be found at sivananda.org.in/online-sessions. Please like our Facebook page to stay notified about live open classes, Satsangs & other programs. Our thoughts are with you all and we pray that you keep well and positive during these challenging times. Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta NATARAJA Centre, Delhi, India

Greetings from Sivananda Nataraja Centre.

COVID-19 Update:
Due to the lockdowns announced by the Indian government, we will not be accepting any new visitors or guests to the Ashram until June 1, 2020. During this phase, we’ll be offering various classes, courses & programs online. Details regarding this can be found at sivananda.org.in/online-sessions. Please like our Facebook page to stay notified about live open classes, Satsangs & other programs. Our thoughts are with you all and we pray that you keep well and positive during these challenging times. Please stay connected – https://sivananda.org.in/delhi/ The staff are well at the Centre. Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Geneva, Switzerland

Om Namah Sivaya. The Geneva Centre was closed during April. We started with online classes and Satsangs. The classes went well, with people from various countries attending. The Satsang was a bit more difficult, in terms of sound and computer management, so we decided to mainly attend Satsangs through Reith, Austria and may be do one Satsang for the teachers in Geneva once a week. The Geneva teachers were very helpful. The renovation work outside the Centre all but slowed down. We pray that all are well and that humanity is going to a higher level of consciousness, with more focus on love and unity rather than competition and separation.

The Easter online retreat from all European Centres was popular. The Geneva teachers gave 2 classes and participated in most Satsangs and workshops. It was inspiring to be part of the Satsangs and classes. Some students gave donations for our online classes, which was welcomed financial support. One of our teachers had a death in her family and went to North Italy, to be with her mother. We pray for her.

We had 5 online classes and one Satsang, shared with Reith. During the Satsang Ananta spoke about Ganga and in the background we showed some pictures of the Ganges, Siva & Vamana Avatara. It was inspiring. We try to keep up the contact with teachers & students, via phone & emails. With best wishes for health and peace, Om Namah Sivaya. OM.

COVID-19 Update:
Due to recent government measures to contain the coronavirus, the Sivananda Yoga Centre in Geneva will remain closed until further notice. All course cards will be extended as soon as the Centre reopens. We will soon be offering online yoga classes with the video Zoom link. You can then roll out the yoga mat at home and continue your practice in an interactive yoga class! Contact us directly for questions and advice regarding Yoga @ Home online classes, Satsangs and courses.

Phone: 022 328 03 28
EMail: [email protected]

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Om Namah Sivaya. In April the Centre was closed, but we had a new online beginner course with a good number of attendees. We had a chance to teach 2 online yoga classes in English for KPMG company’s employees of Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi and Phnom Penh office with total 143 attendees. It was the beginning of the raining season, everything was calmed down with fresh air. We offered a new online restorative yoga course with a good number of attendees. After some days of practicing, they showed interest in meditation and had a lot of questions about meditation after the class. We referred them to the Meditation for Beginner course of Dalat Ashram. The beginner course continued the 2nd week with good feedback. The students were very diligent. They joined the class regularly every day and had many questions after class. A senior couple of the class sent us food and handwritten letter of appreciation. We planned to open more online courses in the next week. Pranams to the Sivananda Family. Om.

COVID 19 Update:
The HO Chi Minh Centre is temporarily closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, London, England

Om Namah Sivaya. Prayers and Greetings from London Centre. In April the London Centre’s online classes were set up from the Orleans Ashram. This new learning experience for all had us very grateful that we can continue to serve our students this way.

COVID-19 Update:
The Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre London is now closed until further notice. We are offering classes and Satsangs online: https://sivanandalondon.org/class-schedule/

For more information, please call us on +33 (0) 2 38 91 88 82. With best wishes for health and inner peace. OM.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Om Namo Narayanaya. In April we connected to our online community by teaching two Gentle Yoga classes to complement the two 2-hour classes being taught online at the Yoga Farm. The afternoon series consisted of Yantra Painting for 2 days, Sivananda Cookie Baking 1 day, and finished with 2 days of Kirtan. We had 20 people join an online Yoga Nidra session with Rita Burgos. We continued to serve through the Stress Relief Counseling Service. Two weeks of daily evening Mantra Chanting on Instagram Live finished. On request, we started sharing our morning Satsangs on Zoom. Steady students all have their chant books in hand, and are enjoying starting their day together. We were grateful for students continuing their monthly pledges. Staff were helful and in good health and spirits. The number of Coronavirus cases in LA was still climbing early April, but not as quickly. Current cases: 10,496.

By mid April we offered another 5-day Joy of Kirtan course, led alternatively by Swami Sivasankariananda and Radha Chaitanya. Despite having to mute the students when singing, we are all uplifted by the sessions. The 30-Day Pranayama Challenge concluded, but due to the students’ response, we decided to continue an additional 30 days. We scheduled a Pranayama course to catch others up to join the Instagram group. We fielded a couple of Stress Management Counseling cases. We let our gardener go, and ordered a lawn mower. SivaDas will have a big job getting through the high grass! We finally had some clear, sunny, classic Los Angeles days! Number of COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles County mid April rose to 15,140.

COVID-19 Update:
The Sivananda Yoga Centre in Los Angeles is closed until California businesses are cleared to reopen. This challenging time is our opportunity to turn inward, deepen our practice and keep our community strong and healthy. Through Satsang and our collective positive thoughts, we support each other and the world. Visit https://sivanandala.org/ to view our online offerings: daily yoga classes, workshops and courses, plus Satsangs with Acharya Swami Sitaramananda. Boost your immune system by practicing all paths of Yoga; feel healthier and stronger in both body and mind. Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Madrid, Spain

Om Namah Sivaya, Blessed Selves! The Madrid Centre was closed in April. Daily online classes started with enthusiastic response from the students. Free online classes continued with the Madrid program expanding with new courses and workshops. Students were grateful and inspired. The first online Easter Retreat had many regular students participating, thanks to a good team of translators supporting from home. May we all contribute to stopping the spread of COVID-19. With our best wishes for health and peace. We are grateful to Master and Swamiji for inspiring so many souls on their path. Pranams to all. OM.

COVID-19 Update:
Dear yoga student, As you know, the Sivananda Yoga Centre has been closed to the public since March 13. The Sivananda Yoga Centre in Madrid has been open continuously since 1973 and we would love to be able to continue sharing yoga in Spain when this situation ends and we can resume normal activity. For this reason, we make a solidarity contribution call in the form of a voluntary donation in order to cover the rental costs until then. Any voluntary contribution you can make will be warmly received. Thank you.

Taking into account the latest measures announced by the Government, regarding the containment of the coronavirus and following the protocols recommended for the city of Madrid, the Sivananda Vedanta Yoga Centre announces the temporary suspension of classes, courses and meditations, as well as the closure of its facilities. Both the class vouchers and the courses that are not used during this time, can be recovered later and we will adapt them, for their use, for the benefit of the students of the Centre. We also announce that we have started offering live yoga classes online through the video Zoom program so that you can continue your practice in an interactive yoga class. You can contact us directly for questions and advice about practicing yoga at home:

Telephone: +34 91 361 51 50
Email: [email protected]

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Madurai, India

Om Namah Sivaya to all. Boost your immune system by practicing all paths of Yoga to feel healthier and stronger in both body and mind. Staff maintained their Sadhana, helping to keep the good energy of the Centre. We thank our Masters for all blessings and support bestowed. Om Shanti, Shanti, Shantihi. Om.

COVID-19 Update:
Due to the lockdowns announced by the Indian government, we will not be accepting any new visitors or guests to the Ashram until June 1, 2020. During this phase, we’ll be offering various classes, courses & programs online. Details regarding this can be found at sivananda.org.in/online-sessions. Please like our Facebook page to stay notified about live open classes, Satsangs & other programs. Our thoughts are with you all and we pray that you keep well and positive during these challenging times. Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Montevideo, Uruguay

Om Namah Sivaya from the Montevideo Centre. All activities in the country are cancelled until the 4th of May at least. We hope to start at that time. We will have an special sanitary protocol. We continued classes and Satsangs online through the Buenos Aires Centre. We start this week different courses. Dr. Padma, prepared a special workshop on Yoga and Ayurveda. We continued preparing the Centre to reopen. May the Grace of Gurudev and Swamiji be upon us all. Om.

COVID-19 Update:
The Montevideo Centre is closed during South America’s COVID-19 lockdown. Please visit the Buenos Aires website to participate in any online class, Satsang or course. This way you will have Yoga at home. You just need a good internet connection and download a free Zoom application. The normal Yoga classes and Satsangs (meditation meetings) will have no cost. We would like to thank those who can contribute a donation that allows us to pay the costs of renting and maintaining the Centres.

The official resolution in Uruguay to cancel classrooms and avoid meeting places has led us to define the closure of the Montevideo Centre. It is a complex situation and alien to our will. On the other hand, we must help the non-propagation of this virus by maintaining the standards provided by the official information media.

Try to strengthen your immune system, maintain a high level of personal hygiene, cleanliness and disinfection in your homes and places of coexistence, eat healthy and cultivate positive thinking. For this, meditation, prayer and the study of spiritual texts can help to overcome physically, mentally and emotionally this hard test that is presented in the path of all beings on this beautiful planet.

We ask you to continue your practice from your homes. For any queries do not hesitate to contact us. If changes or news arise, we will inform you.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Om Namah Sivaya and Greetings from the Montreal Centre! Boost your immune system by practicing all paths of Yoga; feel healthier and stronger in both body and mind.

COVID 19 Update:
Due to the latest announcement from the Government of Quebec, the Montreal Centre is now closed. We will keep you all informed of any changes on our Facebook page. We continue sharing the teachings, now online so we can all continue with our Sadhana to stay positive and peaceful amidst the fast changing situations. Classes, courses and workshops can be found online: https://sivanandacanada.org/camp/online-courses/ Pranams to all. Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Munich, Germany

Om Namah Sivaya. In April the Munich Centre stayed closed and Staff are in the Sivananda Yoga Retreat House in Reith / Tyrol / Austria. Many students and teachers joined the evening online Satsangs and live Online Yoga class. Every day more and more students participated. The Munich Centre remained closed while Staff reside in Reith, Austria. Students were happy to participate in the online Satsangs, classes and webinars. All are very grateful to stay connected to the teachings of the masters. OM.

COVID-19 Update:
In light of the government’s recent measures to contain the coronavirus, the Sivananda Yoga Centre Munich is closed. All stripe cards, flat rate cards and current courses will be extended as soon as the Centre is open again. Visit our live online yoga classes via Zoom video switching. Daily at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. So you can roll out the mat at home and continue your practice in an interactive yoga class. https://muenchen.sivananda.yoga/ OM.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Neuquén, Argentina

Om Namah Sivaya from Neuquen.

COVID-19 Update:
The Neuquen Centre is closed during South America’s COVID-19 lockdown. Please visit the Buenos Aires website to participate in any online class, Satsang or course. This way you will have Yoga at home. You just need a good internet connection and download a free Zoom application. The normal Yoga classes and Satsangs (meditation meetings) will have no cost. We would like to thank those who can contribute a donation that allows us to pay the costs of renting and maintaining the Centres.

The official resolution in Argentina to cancel classrooms and avoid meeting places has led us to define the closure of the Neuquen Centre. It is a complex situation and alien to our will. On the other hand, we must help the non-propagation of this virus by maintaining the standards provided by the official information media.

Try to strengthen your immune system, maintain a high level of personal hygiene, cleanliness and disinfection in your homes and places of coexistence, eat healthy and cultivate positive thinking. For this, meditation, prayer and the study of spiritual texts can help to overcome physically, mentally and emotionally this hard test that is presented in the path of all beings on this beautiful planet.

We ask you to continue the practice from your homes and for any queries do not hesitate to contact us. If changes or news arise, we will inform you. Om Shanti and Prem to everyone. Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, New York, USA

Om Namah Sivaya from Manhattan. In early April, The COVID pandemic here in New York seemed to be getting worse. We therefore continued to be cautious and careful. The cold weather still persisted while citizens longed for some sun and warmth, hopefully just round the corner. The Centre’s teachers continued to be a source of great support. They started offering classes online. These classes had good attendance. Veena, a long time teacher at the Centre, started a Meditation course on Mondays. Neeti started a course about the Scriptures. She also started the Gita study group, all well attended. The cleaning and organizing projects continued in the Centre, including the basement cleaning and the Puja closet. Rama, our dear cat, still feels a bit lonely but seems to have reconciled to having nobody else around.

By mid April it looked like the epidemic situation was a bit more in control in New York City. We continued to be cautious and careful. Weather wise we can’t make sure what to expect! One thing was sure, there were flowers blooming everywhere, so that’s already a good sign that nice warm weather was on the way. Our spring cleaning continued with plans to start working on the backyard. One thing very important was to clean and sanitize everything when we closed down in March, hence, the cushions and the mats (also the meditation ones) got a thorough clean up. Everything was safely packed to keep clean until we are ready to use it. Neeti continued with the weekly Gita study. The students on the course on the Scriptures have asked to extend it. There is still a lot that can be covered there. We are looking at more courses to start soon. We are sending our blessings for all to stay healthy, positive and strong in Sadhana! May Gurudev’s blessings continue to light our path. Om.

COVID-19 Update:
The Sivananda Centres in New York City and Chicago, as well as the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Ranch are closed to the public as a proactive measure to help stem the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Since then the epidemic in the USA and especially in New York has grown exponentially. From the day we closed we gathered our Centre staff at the Yoga Ranch to continue our practice, to support each other and to do what we can to continue with our mission of disseminating the Yoga teachings and support the Sivananda Yoga community in a growing isolated environment. Respecting social distancing, we started live Satsangs, study groups and hopefully soon – asana classes using the growing social media software of Facebook Live. Yoga classes, Satsangs and Courses are available on Live Facebook and Zoom.

Centre de Yoga Sivananda Vedanta, Paris, France

Om Namah Sivaya.

COVID-19 Update:
The Sivananda Yoga Centre in Paris is now closed until further notice. We offer online lessons and Satsangs. We look forward to continuing to serve you this way. Let’s put into practice one of these key instructions from Swami Sivananda: “Adapt to all situations”. Take care of yourself, take care of others. See you online https://sivanandaparis.org/cours-de-yoga/. Contact us at the Sivananda Yoga Ashram, Neuville aux bois at +33 (0) 2 38 91 88 82 or +33 (0) 1 40 26 77 49. With all our wishes for health and peace. OM.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Porto Alegre, Brasil, South America

Greetings from Porto Alegre. In April the Porto Alegre Centre was closed due to the COVID 19 lock down in the city. We provided online classes by Zoom, with good acceptance every day. Fortunately we are well, we keep teaching online every day and the students and teachers keep connected. We hoped this situation passes soon as we grow and uplift through all of this. We will keep you informed when the lock down will start to relax gradually. We will be alert to see when is the best moment to restart the activities at the Yoga Centre. Wishing to all of you health and peace. May all live under Master’s and Guru’s grace. Om Shanti. Om.

COVID-19 Update:
The Porto Alegre Centre is closed during South America’s COVID-19 lockdown. Please visit the Buenos Aires website to participate in any online class, Satsang or course. This way you will have Yoga at home. You just need a good internet connection and download a free Zoom application. The normal Yoga classes and Satsangs (meditation meetings) will have no cost. We would like to thank those who can contribute a donation that allows us to pay the costs of renting and maintaining the Centres.

In compliance with the municipal decree of the mayor of Porto Alegre, starting today we at the Sivananda Centre will be closed doors, gathered in meditation and internal practices to keep the energy high and vibrating so that this cycle is brief. We will return with our activities to the general public as soon as we are allowed again.

We recommend that you keep your personal practice, the practice of Yoga is an excellent ally to go through this period, where we need even more to keep the mind calm and the heart calm. Eat well, drink plenty of water and get a good night’s sleep to keep your immunity strong.

Lesson plans started in March will be extended as of the Centre’s reopening date. Any questions you have regarding the practices please contact us via email. We remain united!

Any changes will be communicated immediately via e-mail.

Try to strengthen your immune system, maintain a high level of personal hygiene, cleanliness and disinfection in your homes and places of coexistence, eat healthy and cultivate positive thinking. For this, meditation, prayer and the study of spiritual texts can help to overcome physically, mentally and emotionally this hard test that is presented in the path of all beings on this beautiful planet. We ask you to continue the practice from your homes and for any queries do not hesitate to contact us. If changes or news arise, we will inform you. Om.

Centro Yoga Vedanta Sivananda, Rome, Italy

Om Namah Sivaya, Blessed Selves. In April, the online Easter Retreat with all the European Centres was a highlight. We were busy with the classes and translation for most of the programs, other karma yogis got involved in the translations. It’s incredible how having a retreat online could be so inspiring, We felt very strongly the connection with the students from all over the world, we were grateful for the beautiful opportunity and at the end we felt very happy and uplifted! Meanwhile, for the rest of April we continued with the classes and courses online, plus, two workshops one on Prana and Pranayama and the other on Stress management. Both were very well attended and much appreciated. We finished painting the main asana room. Students took refuge in the Masters’ teachings to deal in these difficult moments trying all together to keep the spirits high. Sending Love and prana to all of you.

COVID 19 Update:
At this moment, the Sivananda Vedanta Yoga Roma Centre wants to continue to assist all of you, offering free online lessons, until it is possible to reopen and resume normal activities. In order to attend, we ask you to send an email to [email protected], and only after sending the email will the access link be sent to you.

If you can, we ask you to make a free offer for the yoga class and the courses: in this way you will also help the Centre to cover the expenses that we will continue to face during this closing period. In the confirmation email that we will send with the access link, you will also receive the bank details in order to make the donation. Any offer of any amount will be sincerely appreciated. OM.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, San Francisco, California, USA

Om Namo Narayanaya, Blessed Selves. We were feeling the blessings of Master and Swamiji during this challenging time. We are always thankful to our teachers and Gurus that have created the space to hold so much important work. May the Truth be spread far and wide. Om.

COVID 19 Update:
The Sivananda Yoga Centre San Francisco is closed until California businesses are cleared to reopen. Visit https://sivanandala.org/ to view our online offerings: daily yoga classes, workshops and courses, plus Satsangs with Acharya Swami Sitaramananda. This challenging time is our opportunity to turn inward, deepen our practice and keep our community strong and healthy. Through Satsang and our collective positive thoughts, we support each other and the world. Boost your immune system by practicing all paths of Yoga; feel healthier and stronger in both body and mind. Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, San Paulo, Brasil

Om Namah Sivaya. May the Masters continue to pour prana and harmony onto the Sao Paulo Sivananda Centre. Om Shanti Shanti to all the Sivananda family. Om Shanti.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Tel Aviv, Israel

Om Namah Sivaya. April was dedicated to a thorough cleanup of the whole Tel Aviv Centre in preparation for Passover. We celebrated the birthday of Swami Shambhudevananda with a beautiful Puja and with a full celebration via Zoom! People from all over the world joined us, and we felt the love of the Sivananda extended family. We held the Passover Seder at the Centre and via Zoom and people from all over the world could join and share the holy energy of the celebration. We were happy to notice that despite the holidays the number of online students increased. The staff rested well after a very intense and blessed week. May the Masters bless and protect us all.

Meanwhile the rest of April we continued with a full daily schedule of online activities. The morning guided meditation and yoga class are well attended, as well as the noon kirtan and the kids class. We finished filming the Yoga for Beginners 5 days course and started to film Yoga 2. We were going to offer them as pre-recorded courses rather than live classes. Next in line are the positive thinking and meditation courses. After 4 weeks of online activities, we now have a dedicated group of karma yogis who help with all the technical support, which allows the staff to focus on promoting more of the Centre courses. May the Master’s grace be with all. Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Tokyo, Japan

Om Namah Sivaya. In April we started an online asana class via Zoom. The staff struggled with problems and troubles in sound and image, managing to fix them one by one and to launch the program finally. We were basically staying at home without talking to anyone, causing many of them to feel isolated, and thus, the students were thankful for this opportunity to enable them to be connected with each other though it is through the internet. We held a Chanting workshop online inviting not only students but also Karma yogis, eventually joined by 15 people in total, turning out a vibrant session. A Trial class was given with 6 people attending. Many of them lived in areas quite remote from Tokyo and the online programs made it possible for those who can’t come to the Centre physically on a regular basis to join in programs. We were going to continue to offer online workshops even after this situation is over. Also, hand-made masks are selling very well at our online shop. May Master and Swamiji’s grace be with all. Om Shanti, Shanti, Shantihi. Om.

COVID-19 Update:
The May-June 2020 Teacher Training Course (TTC) in Japan: We are sorry to inform you, but due to COVID-19 pandemic, this TTC Japan has been cancelled. Also, due to recent COVID-19, the Shojiko Retreat Centre is currently closed. Hoping the situation will get better soon.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Om Namah Sivaya. In April we started another online gentle yoga course as well as Yoga sutras course. Our students continued to eagerly participate in several Bhagavad Gita courses that Maheswari was teaching. Many were also joining our daily open classes. Ken Whiteley offered an Easter gospel concert from his home that lifted everyone’s spirits. We continued to enjoy small acts of kindness that we witness around us: a teacher made surprise pizza delivery for staff, someone left a big bag of chocolate almonds in our mail box, a lady in a line for food gave her spot to an older gentleman after she had waited for 40 minutes, neighbourhood kids were meeting each other for the first time from across the street and making “distance playdates”, Mookambika continued to make chai for everyone even when no one asks for it and Nalini kept randomly putting cups of water in front of us to make sure we stay hydrated. Love to all.

Maheswari started The Art of Positive Thinking course with 12 online students mid April and we had new gentle yoga starting as well. Prema taught Free Yourself through Kirtan workshop from her home that everyone enjoyed very much. We spent some time updating our online programs and our online registration system. We also filmed several short educational videos for our you tube channel. Our regular students registered for free online open, senior and advanced classes while reconnecting with the Centre. Staff continued with their regular Sadhana and karma yoga and are very disciplined with their schedule. We reached out to several places in the community to offer free classes. We send Om Namo Narayanaya to everyone. Pranams. Love to all. Om.

COVID-19 Update:
The Toronto Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre is closed at this time. In this challenging time, it is important that we don’t stop our spiritual practice, as that’s where we get our strength! Keeping that in mind, we will provide you with Yoga, Satsang and Courses support online. Visit: https://sivanandacanada.org/toronto

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Trivandrum, Kerala, India

Om Namah Sivaya. Keep up your Sadhana and prayer for one and all in the planet. Praying for world health and peace – OM NAMO NARAYANAYA. Om.

COVID-19 Update:
Due to the lockdowns announced by the Indian government, we will not be accepting any new visitors or guests to the Ashram until June 1, 2020. During this phase, we’ll be offering various classes, courses & programs online. Details regarding this can be found at sivananda.org.in/online-sessions. Please like our Facebook page to stay notified about live open classes, Satsangs & other programs. Our thoughts are with you all and we pray that you keep well and positive during these challenging times. Please stay connected. [email protected] Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Vienna, Austria

Om Namah Sivaya. In April the Vienna Centre staff continued teaching classes online. We called students regularly to stay in contact. Webpage and database were being continuously updated and a newsletter was sent out. Staff continued to be trained on work on the webpage and how to technically support Zoom meetings. Grateful donations kept coming in. We celebrated Hanuman Jayanti with an uplifting morning Puja, reciting his 108 names. Highlights were the inspiring evening Satsangs, online from the Retreathouse in Reith and the Ashram in France plus a colourful and diverse online Easter program in which all European Centres and staff participating actively. An extra-gentle online course of four classes started with a nice group of students. One Saturday we started the day with a peaceful Puja and workshop “The Fire of Hatha Yoga”. We appreciated the possibility to continue to teach and to learn on line, share the Yoga experience and stay in contact, thanks to modern technology. We are grateful to be in this beautiful and protected place. OM.

COVID 19 Update:
In view of the government’s latest measures to contain the coronavirus, the Sivananda Yoga Centre Vienna will be closed until further notice. All stripe cards, flat rate cards and current courses will be extended as soon as the Centre is open again. Visit our live online yoga classes via Zoom video switching. So you can roll out the mat at home and continue your practice in an interactive yoga class! Please contact us directly for questions and tips for Yoga @ Home:

Tel: 01 586 34 53
Email: [email protected]

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Vilnuis, Lithuania

Om Namah Sivaya. In April the Vilnius Centre remained closed. Meanwhile, we offered online asana classes and happy that more and more of our students and teachers try the classes. We had a Meditation course, which was a continuation of the course, which started before the Centre was closed due to corona quarantine. Wonderful workshops were offered to our students, with the translation into Lithuanian, attracted the students from the whole Lithuania. More and more students joined in the evening daily Satsangs held from the European Ashrams. Office work: weekly newsletter, webpage, FB was very important and took a lot of time, so the cleaning of the Centre took place in the free time of the teaching and translating. Translations were shared between the close teachers. The Satsangs from Reith online allowed us to feel like a family and derive strength and faith for everyday work and Sadhana. Health and Peace to all. OM.

COVID-19 Update:
The Sivananda Yoga Centre in Vilnius closed since Friday, March 13, according to the latest government anti-coronavirus measures. We offer free live yoga classes through Zoom Video Communications. Sign up here: https://www.sivananda.lt/ So you will be able to roll your rug at home and continue your yoga practice with an interactive lesson! Contact us if you have questions or need tips on how to practice yoga at home.

Phone: +370 6 487 2864
Email: [email protected]